Category: 2026 Trek Intro
Day 5–Fire-setter? Or fighter?
Scripture reading for April 3: James 3:5-6 “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”
As a fire-fighter, I love to put out brush and grass fires. In fact, just yesterday, I was playing golf and a grass fire call came over my pager. I rushed back to the clubhouse and then drove quickly the half-mile to the fire station. I jumped into my suit and boots and took the brush truck loaded with water back to the other side of the course. It turned out that the golf course superintendent had started a small brush fire in the morning and the wind picked up blowing sparks into nearby grass. The dry grass quickly spread as wind gusted and flames headed for the adjoining houses. It was just a small brush fire that ignited several acres in a short time! Thankfully, working with others, it was quickly extinguished.
James wrote about the tongue as a small fire set in the body. The untamed tongue is a world of unrighteousness and evil. Although small, our tongue can quickly start a big blaze that spreads rapidly bringing wide-spread devastation. James says that our untamed tongue can set the whole course of life on fire and it derives it’s deadly match from hell itself.
As a first responder who fights fires, I surely don’t want to be responsible for setting them! The longer I live as a member of my community of responders, The better I am understanding the power of our tongues. Our words can bring healing, they can break through hardened hearts, they can comfort and encourage and help maintain unity and good will. But if we are careless with our words, they can start fires of strife among our community destroying unity. Each person must go to God for grace and power to tame the fire of our tongues. Let’s be fire-fighters and not igniters!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for giving Your children understanding concerning the power of our tongues and the need for Your help in bringing the fire under control. Help me to use my tongue to quench the fires of pride and calm the winds that spread discord. Amen.
Day 4–The Rudder of Your Ship
Scripture reading for April 2: James 3:1-5 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.”
James is said to write the ‘proverbs’ of the New Testament because he writes with direct and practical wisdom. This dissertation on the tongue was given to warn those in the church that greater judgment comes to those who teach God’s Word. (James 3:1) God holds those who teach to a greater accountability because of the power of words to bring guidance and direction and influence others. Those who teach can also become full of pride and use their tongue to boast and draw attention away from God to themselves. This is how we stumble into Satan’s traps.
James used bridles for horses and our ability to control what comes out of our mouth as an example of how to keep from stumbling or going off course. Bits in the horse’s mouth guide the horse through pressure and even pain causing them to turn as the rider applies the reins. The second example James used was the rudder of a ship. It is a small part of a big ship, but when the pilot moves the rudder, the great ship is guided skillfully along.
This truth is good for us a first responders in several ways. We must be careful with ‘self-talk’ that is negative or defeated. Our mouths need a bit applied to turn away from this mis-direction of our lives. Another application of the ‘rudder’ is choosing our words carefully as we to talk to others or about others concerning our work. Gossip and spreading of details of our work, or making fun of someone needs quick reining in.
Prayer: Father God, forgive me when I have neglected to use the rudder to steer my mouth. Help me to use my words to direct my own life in Your path and to show grace and respect to others You love. Amen.
Day 3–Bone-breaker!
Scripture reading for April 1: Proverbs 25:15 “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft (gentle) tongue will break a bone.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
In our culture, it is often thought that the loudest and meanest person gets his way and is heard. We often hear voices raised and demanding what is wanted from those in authority. Some people think that this might be the best way to approach God, our supreme authority, but Jesus modeled and taught a different approach. Jesus knew that patience and gentleness were powerful weapons to break through hearts hardened by labor and loads.
Jesus called out to those who were hurting in His culture with an invitation to come to Him with their heavy burdens and deep wounds and worries. Jesus offered to teach them His way of life. He lived a life of rest. Although He came from the throne of God, He came with gentleness and compassion, reflecting the heart of His Father. He humbly invited all to willingly come under His ‘yoke’. This may sound like a real burden if you view ‘yoke’ as the wooden beam thrown over an oxen’s shoulders to pull the load. But Jesus was talking about them becoming His disciples and the ‘yoke’ was His simple teaching and instruction. As a rabbi in the Jewish culture had disciples, so Jesus called disciples who would willingly ‘yoke’ with Him.
As we look at how important our words are in helping others, this simple teaching on gentleness can make a world of difference. When we see from God’s perspective, we understand that humility and gentleness are powerful influencers. God doesn’t force anyone to come under His ‘yoke’ but sends out a loving invitation. Being loud and demanding may appear to be cool, but is not Jesus’ ‘yoke’!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for modeling for us the gentleness and compassion of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to humbly listen to Your Words and Your Son’s example and respond to His call every day. Living in rest for our souls will draw others to our gentle Savior. Amen.
Day 2–Healing words!
Scripture reading for March 31: Proverbs 4: 20-23 “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight: keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 16:24 “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
Solomon impressed on his sons their need to pay attention to his words by which he taught the truth from God’s Word. He told them to listen closely with more than just hearing the words. They were to keep those words in their heart as one might keep a precious treasure. These words would result in life for their souls. These words would be shared through them to pass on to the next generation so that they too might find real life. These words, if kept, would also provide healing for their flesh and bring them what Solomon described as a flow of the ‘springs of life.’
The flow from our hearts is dependent on what we listen to and pay attention to on a daily basis. If we fill our lives with God’s thoughts and the fruits of His Holy Spirit, gracious words of hope, encouragement, and love will flow like honey from a honeycomb. Our souls will be healthy and full of sweetness. We will bring healing to others instead of infecting their lives with anger or disdain.
As responders, we are sometimes called to go to places where there is strife or disease and sickness. There people may express their hurt and bitterness coming from wounded hearts or discouragement from a long battle. We must guard our hearts against picking up or contributing to the negativity. We learn to counter any discouraging words or bad attitudes with calmness, love and wisdom. We extend grace to hurting people and show them respect. We bless them and seek to do good demonstrating God’s love and ways. We encourage them by a healthy example of a soul nourished on God’s Word.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for filling my heart with Your love and nourishing me with Your Word. I keep Your Word as a sweet and healing medicine for my soul. Empower me through Your Holy Spirit to accurately reflect Your healing words to those who are hurting. Amen.
Week 14–Day 1– A Fountain of Life?
Scripture reading for March 30: Proverbs 10:11-13 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences. On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.”
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Matthew 12:34-35 “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.”
For years I read a chapter of proverbs each day as a spiritual discipline to learn wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to take knowledge and apply it to living successfully. God gave wisdom to Solomon because he asked Him for it. This wisdom was written down to pass on to Solomon’s sons and God’s people. We would do well to listen and learn these simple statements and apply them to our daily lives.
Man’s mouth and the tongue are a source of either blessing or trouble. Solomon taught that the mouth of a righteous person was a fountain of life and a source of wisdom for sound and gracious living. Love in the heart and mouth would cover offenses. But the mouth of evil people, on the other hand, would stir up violence, hatred and strife. Truly life and death were found in the power of the tongue.
Jesus taught that from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Whatever your heart is filled with spills out of your mouth. The human heart contains a treasure–either of good or evil. First responders must watch their mouths and according to these words of wisdom, they must guard their heart for preserving good treasure. Part of our response to the needs of hurting people is using life-giving words and sharing wisdom. What treasure is flowing from your heart?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for revealing to us these truths about our mouths and the power we have to speak life or death to those You send us to. Fill my heart with Your love and wisdom and help me to guard it as treasure. Amen.
Day 5–The Unity of Holy Trinity
Scripture reading for March 27: Matthew 3:16-17 “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased.”
John 5:19 “I and the Father are One.” John 17:11 “Holy Father, keep them in Your Name, which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are One.”
It is extremely rare to find true biblical unity among families, marriages, clubs, organizations, or people groups. There is always a ‘fly in the ointment’ that causes division or strife. Even the best of marriages have occasional disruptions of the unity through unkind words, attitudes or violations of personhood. Our nation is certainly divided by political issues, racial issues, and cultural differences and even religious doctrines. It is hard to find an example of what unity is to be like.
God, Himself, has given us a model of unity in the Holy Trinity: Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. These three form a tight-knit ‘Community of Unity’ for us to learn from. God the Father is supreme in this community. His Word is the Truth and carries eternal value and authority. Jesus Christ, God’s Only Son, is God manifest in human flesh. Jesus came to reveal the Father. He only spoke what the Father had said and did what the Father did. He fully submitted to Father’s Word and will. The Holy Spirit, the Father’s Gift, was given by the Father to redeemed man. The Spirit is a ‘Helper’ and ‘Comforter’ Who reveals the Father’s Word and ways to us. These three are bound together by Love because God is Love!
When we consider how to maintain unity in our department or group of responders, it is good to start with these basic truths. God our Father and His Son Jesus are one in love, purpose, and power. They have prayed that we enter into Their absolute unity and made a way by sending the Holy Spirit. As we invite God’s Spirit to lead us, He reveals the path of peace and the anointing of unity.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your perfect unity demonstrated in the Holy Trinity. I surrender to Your Son’s prayer that I be one with Father and Son. Bless our family and department with Your unity. Amen.
Day 4–The Community of Unity
Scripture reading for March 26: Psalm 133:1,3 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! . . .For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
John 17:22-23“The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are One, I in them, and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and that I loved them even as You loved Me.”
For anyone that has worked on a team, the importance of unity is undisputable. Working together in harmony and sharing common goals and valuing the other team members makes work enjoyable. Good teamwork is developed by skilled leadership and willing followers. Unity is maintained by allowing God’s Spirit to flow to each member of the team through example of the leadership and humility of each member.
The psalmist who wrote Psalm 133 was describing the pleasure and goodness of the Israelite people when they worked and worshipped together in unity with each other and with God. If you read this whole psalm, it is interesting that unity starts with the precious anointing oil poured on head of the high priest, Aaron. This psalm teaches that the anointing of God’s Spirit starts with leaders who have been called and appointed by God. These leaders then stand firm and the anointing flows down from the head and even drips off the priestly garment. It is also likened to dew that settles on the thirsty ground and brings refreshing.
It is when brothers and sisters are in unity that God commands the blessing of His presence and anointing. Jesus gathered His disciples for the last time and prayed over them for the unity that comes from allowing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to dwell in us. Jesus modeled this oneness and prayed us into it. From it, the world knows the Father’s love revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Father God, I can only say ‘Amen’ to Jesus’ prayer for our unity with You and Him. Forgive me for disrupting that unity when I focus on myself and my flesh. As I work with teams of responders, help me to maintain the unity of the Spirit and bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3) Amen.
Day 3–Different but essential
Scripture reading for March 25: 1 Corinthians 12:14-18 “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose.”
To help believers understand how their different gifts and abilities fit together in Christ’s body, Paul used the example of a human body. He satirically used parts of the body that were essential to the body’s function and gave them a complaint that they were not the center of attention. The foot and the hand reacted in jealousy to the other’s prominence. The ear and the eye had a similar complaint. Paul was revealing pride and boastfulness that bring division and disrupts the unified working of any team. Each person was a gift from God for the benefit of the body’s perfect function.
As first responders, it would be good to take note of this simple teaching and illustration from Scripture. The first thing to note is that whatever place you hold in the team of the department or unit you work with is God’s choice. You may have volunteered, or interviewed and were hired, but behind it all is God’s loving direction and the fulfilment of His plans.
Another point is that we recognize that each member of the team as important and we need them as they need us. The diversity of gifts is a great blessing. In the department that I belong to, I am so grateful for the many years of experience and the various levels of training that brings effectiveness to our team of firemen and women. I am blessed to learn from each person new skills and ways of working together. God has placed each person where He chose and given them gifts.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for overseeing the gifts and abilities given to each person. Thank You for the diversity of gifts and personalities that You put together. Help me to cooperate with Your purposes each day and to do my part to maintain unity. Amen.
Day 2–Though Many We Are One
Scripture reading for March 24: Romans 12:3-6 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: . . .”
The body of Christ is composed of many members with various giftings and talents and abilities. Paul, writing to the Roman believers, encouraged them to hold their own giftings with great humility. It is God Who has blessed us with our abilities and gifts, we can claim little credit. We use our giftings by faith as acts of grace to bless and serve others. In fact, we belong to God and to each other in Christ’s body.
There are no big “I’s” or little “you’s” in Christ’s family. We are all on level ground at the foot of Jesus’ cross. He gifted us as He determined for His purposes and glory. One gift is not superior to the other so there is no reason for boasting or strife coming from pride and self-exaltation. We are to value each member and consider others of more importance than ourselves. (Philippians 2:3-4) We are to use our gifts to serve one another and those to whom God sends us. Our attitude of humility and loving and cheerful service reflects our Lord Jesus.
Unity and teamwork are valuable among those working together to help others. Pride and holding grudges cause attitudes that divide and and create tension. These attitudes are easily detected by those being helped and interfere with rendering needed aide. Each person should check their own heart and make necessary adjustments.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for bringing many and varied members into Your family. Help me to value each person you place on the team of responders I serve with. Give me grace to use my gifts to serve others and not as a means of gaining attention or controlling others. Amen.
Week 13–Day 1–Together We Are Better
Scripture reading for March 23: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. . . .And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him–a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
The ancient wisdom of King Solomon, the wisest man to have lived other than Jesus Christ, promotes the benefits of teamwork. There is synergy when two people work together in unity or a team of people put their various talents to work. Solomon points out that they will have a good reward for working together.
Another benefit is to have help when trouble comes in the completion of a job. If one person falls down or is injured, the other can help him get back up and recover. Also, if there was an attack from another person, the helper would add strength and overcoming ability enabling the person to escape the attack. Solomon also observed that a ‘three-stranded cord” was not easily broken. Many commentators suggest that this is the two person team trusting the Lord as their third Person, giving them the edge.
In our work as first responders, two are better than one. We often go in pairs to bring the help needed. I have responded to two calls in the last day where I went to assist the EMT’s with a person needing transport. Two EMT’s always go out together on the calls, but many times, an extra pair of hands or two more helpers make the job easier. In the last case, an elderly lady needed help getting out of her bedroom and down some steep and narrow stairs. We used the transport chair, but the battery was not working and we had to carry her. It was much easier with four of us lifting and carrying her and the chair.
Sometimes there are situations where people are angry or resistant to those seeking to help. It is a blessing to have extra helpers who are able to stay calm and work with those distracting from the mission. Having our Lord with us is always welcomed, as He can guide and bring answers to difficult situations.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for team members who work together to help those who are hurting. Thank You for Your presence with us and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help our teams. Use me to work with others in unity. Amen.